This invention relates to jewelry display devices and, more particularly, to jewelry display devices that have swinging display panels.
Retail jewelry vendors have long searched for better ways to display jewelry to their customers. One common device for displaying jewelry for sale is a book-like display, either of the type that lays flat or of the type that stands erect. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,585 (Snyder) shows a jewelry storage case that has several trays for holding jewelry items, wherein each tray has a plurality of apertures for securing jewelry thereto or a plurality of hooks for hanging jewelry therefrom. The trays are hingedly attached to each other and allow the case to be opened and stood in a vertical orientation or to be closed for storage. This device is also shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 317,380 (Snyder). In addition, U.S. Design Pat. Nos. Des. 266,115 (Glenn, Sr. et al.) and 348,155 (McCreary et al.) both show book-like jewelry cases in which "pages" for holding jewelry are hingedly attached to one another and which may be closed for storage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,012 (Dufour) shows a book-like jewelry case having pages of mesh material onto which jewelry may be hung. Separator pages, each having cushioning on both sides, are bound between the mesh pages, and the front and rear covers also contain cushioning on the inside of each. This device also has a closure means to allow this jewelry display "notebook" to be closed for storage.
Each of the aforementioned jewelry display cases is structured to allow the user to open the display case and display the jewelry by turning the "pages" of the book onto which the jewelry is secured. The case may, in some cases, be stood up vertically to display the jewelry by resting on the bottom edges of the cover or pages of the book when open. Each of these cases may also be closed to allow the jewelry to be stored inside and to allow the jewelry case to be portable. These jewelry cases, however, are structured for portable displays and not for a larger retail display that can be attached to a counter top. In addition, these jewelry cases in no way allow a customer to see how the jewelry appears in use. It is desirable to provide a stand-up display that allows salespeople and consumers to "page" through displayed jewelry and that graphically depicts the jewelry in use.
Some display stands have allowed retail exhibition of jewelry in a non-portable frame. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,105 (White) shows an earring rack having two shutters hingedly attached to the outside edges of a grid frame. In this patent, the grid frame is mounted in a stationary position to a flat base to prevent the rack from tipping over when jewelry is removed therefrom or when the shutters are swung open. However, White departs from the book-like design, as the shutters give the device the appearance of a window and not the appearance of a book.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,928,555 (Childs et al.), 3,391,796 (Cross) and 3,514,883 (Albright) all show display devices having a series of swinging panels pivotally mounted within a frame. Childs et al. discloses a mounting arrangement for panels of electrical components in which each panel swings from one of two pivot points at opposite sides of the frame, wherein offset crank arms provide clearance between each leaf. In both Albright and Cross, each leaf pivots about its own pivot axis set within two parallel stationary tracks. This type of device is commonly used to display items such as posters, photographs, compact discs, etc. For such large display devices, however, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for allowing a salesperson to quickly and easily change displays without having to cross to the opposite side of the sales counter. This is generally not possible with devices such as in Albright and Cross, which are mounted to a wall or some other vertical support surface.
Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provide a jewelry display device that allows salespeople and customers to "page" through displayed jewelry.
It is another object of this invention to provide a jewelry display device that graphically depicts the jewelry on display.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a countertop jewelry display device that allows a salesperson to quickly and easily change displays without having to cross to the opposite side of the display.